Were you a fan of the Spice Girls? Do you enjoy pop music? If you answered yes to either of those questions, I may have the perfect suggestion for what you should listen to next: Little Mix.

I have been a long time fan of pop group Little Mix. In one of the first iterations of this blog circa 2012 there was even one or two posts all about my love for Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne, and Perrie. I’ve stood in line for hours to meet them and paid for overpriced concert tickets where they were only on the docket as the opener. Little Mix is a massive success in their U.K. home, breaking long-held records even, but it seemed hardly anybody knew who they were in the states. What gives? Why were these talented ladies only a blip on the radar?

I feel like I say this every month, but you guys…March was seriously brimming with so much musical goodness. Why did I think only featuring five was a good idea? My top choices this month all skew a bit more pop-sounding, other than one solid rock song.

I have to admit, February was a difficult month to only pick my top 5 songs to show off. That doesn’t mean it was lacking, rather there were so many quality songs I thoroughly loved. You may have seen my sneak peek Tweetyesterday with me exclaiming just how good this playlist was. After a lot of pondering, I think I am satisfied with the chosen ones. Let’s see if you agree.

Can we talk about how much of a bop this song is? When Janelle Monáe announced her upcoming album Dirty Computer with an accompanying visual album, I knew we were in for a good time. “Make Me Feel” has raucous keyboards, staccato rhythmic guitars, and all the funk that her former mentor Prince would’ve provided. It’s a super sensual and sexy song, that is also fun to dance to. Bonus: Tessa Thompson makes an appearrance in the music video.

2) 1950 – King Princess

King Princess is a 19 year old new artist whose first debut is to launch Mark Ronson’s new label Zelig. Her music is self-produced, self-written, and self-playing of all the instruments. Talk about talent. There’s a reason why she’s one to watch and already getting plenty of buzz. “1950” is soft and airy, but has a bittersweet quality to it that almost feels haunting at times.

3) Come Wander With Me – Brian Fallon

Formerly the lead singer of The Gaslight Anthem, Fallon is known for his lyrical prowess. “Come and Wander With Me” is a reflection of a broken relationship full of fragility and strength. This song is Fallon at his best with quality introspective rock. (Any Butch Walker fans out there? This is a song for you to check out in particular.)

4) Saturdays – Twin Shadows (Featuring HAIM)

“Saturdays” is a perfect song encompassing all possible vibes of it’s namesake. There’s a pulsating guitar layered on the shimmering vocals that create a unique mystique. With clear 80s influences, this song manages to pay homage without feeling vintage. A solid pop song that has widespread appeal to both indie and mainstream audiences.

5)Pray For Me – The Weekend and Kendrick Lamar

Black Panther soundtrack does it again! “Pray for Me” is a track that is meant to reveal the internal monologue of the film’s protagonist King T’Challa. A strong bass line runs throughout the contemporary electric sound and propels it forward. The two rappers fuse together two different styles in one epic combination. (PS: If you haven’t listened to this entire soundtrack and enjoy rap, r&b, and hip-hop…it is a MUST.)

Honorable Mention: “Want You Back” – 5 Seconds of Summer. There was a summer a few years ago when 5SOS was in One Direction’s touring pocket and I found myself a pretty hardcore fan of these guys. Then, they went out on their own and the appeal was quickly diminished due to their repeatedly problematic nature. (Even if their debut album was great.) Here we are years later when I thought I was good and clear of them and they pull me back in with a great song. I don’t think I’ll ever stan them like I did once upon a time, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find me jamming to their new album when it is released.

The February playlist below contains 40 tracks. It even has a few never-before seen on my playlist surprises thanks to the K-Pop focus during the recent Olympics. (Bonus points if you can point out any of the three songs I became obsessed with due to figure skating last week.)

Well, what do ya know? Your girl has some blogging soul left in her. There may be zero of you out there reading this, but I missed getting into the zone and just letting my thoughts run free. So here I am again.

My first post back would of course be on music, gotta stay on brand right? I will admit, when I wasn’t blogging as much last year – I found myself sleeping on some great music. Which dear music deities, please forgive me.

Below you will find my Top 5 Tunes for the month of January (yes, I know I’m more than a few days late, but I promise it’s just as good still) and an extra little somethin’ somethin’ in the form of a playlist of all the songs I discovered and enjoyed during the first 31 days of 2018. Hopefully you can find a few new gems too! (I mean, there’s 47 of songs…the chances are likely there will be at least one.)

1) All the Stars – Kendrick Lamar and Sza

Okay, okay, okay. When it was announced that Kendrick Lamar would be curating/producing the Black Panther soundtrack you KNEW that album was going to be good. Like, sign me up NOW good. Then the first song got released and it was a collaboration with two of the music world’s biggest darlings currently – SZA and Kendrick Lamar himself. Could it get better than this? It’s a beautiful synth-heavy song that combines the talents of the two perfectly. “All the Stars” easily amps up the already high excitement for the movie.

2) Mystery of Love – Sufjan Stevens

I have a confession to make. I have never enjoyed Sufjan Steven’s music much. (I know, it’s a very unpopular opinion.) However, “Mystery of Love” and the other two songs Stevens crafted for Call Me By Your Name may have changed my mind. Have you ever heard music that is so absolutely perfect for it’s usage, it almost becomes breathtaking? “Mystery of Love” is one of those for me. The Oscar nomination is very well deserved. The tone, sound, lyrics…everything compliments the story of Elio and Oliver. “Mystery of Love” adds a layer of narration to the backdrop of somewhere in Northern Italy 1983 in it’s own unique way.

3) My My My! – Troye Sivan

Days before Troye Sivan announced his comeback single, I was pondering aloud what ever happened to him. Creating one heck of a song is what. “My My My!” is a bop, a banger, and a jam all in one. Sivan took his 80s pop meets 00s EDM inspired debut and cranked it up a notch to deliver on his sophomore album too. I could dance in my car, in the club, in my kitchen…I could dance wherever to this song. In those famous words, wig snatched.

4) Cold Little Heart – Michael Kiwanuka

Here’s a bit of a throwback for you. “Cold Little Heart” was released in 2016, so it’s not necessarily new – but it’s new to me. While binge watching Big Little Lies on New Year’s Day, I found myself entranced by the opening credits enough to sit through them. Every. Single. Episode. Even though they were on my DVR and I could’ve easily pressed fast forward. It sounds like I wasn’t alone in my love for Kiwanuka’s song. After Big Little Lies premiered, the numbers of people who Shazam’d the song increased massively.

5) IDGAF – Dua Lipa

I am all for powerful feminist and self-love anthems in music. I can’t get enough. Lipa’s “IDGAF” fits that bill to a T. One listen and suddenly you’ll have a list of all those who have done you wrong, imagining yourself driving around town in a nice car and not giving them the time of day. Or, was that just me? Either way, this song exudes confidence and it’s hard to resist feeling the same.

Honorable Mention: “For You” by Rita Ora and Liam Payne. I will be honest, this song didn’t make my Top 5 simply because it’s from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack and I am petty AF. They trilogy consistently had killer soundtracks and it was the hardest thing for me to admit each go around. “For You” is the quintessential ‘lovers’ duet and it’s the best thing either Ora or Payne have put out in ages.

The January playlist found below (let’s be honest, due to my eclectic music tastes probably every playlist on this blog) will be a mixture of everything from Top 40 pop to obscure indie and maybe even a few country and rap songs thrown in between.

What did you find yourself listening to in the first month of 2018?

P.S. – The beginning of the year signifies a resolution for most people to amp up their workouts. Of course, just like how there’s an app for everything – I’ve got a playlist for that.